


From me to you

by Notoyax17



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Gen, Humor, Implied Cannibalism, M/M, Sleepwalking, not quite crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-24 18:32:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10747422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notoyax17/pseuds/Notoyax17
Summary: Hannibal meets Will before Will meets Hannibal.Hannibal's amused and Will only mostly grateful that he wasn't awake for it.





	From me to you

**Author's Note:**

> Was in the hospital for a couple days a few weeks back and wrote a couple things while in there (because BOREDOM). Finally getting around to posting this.

Considering the life that he’d lived thus far, it should go without saying that Hannibal has seen his fair share of weirdness in his lifetime. That the majority of said weirdness had been caused by Hannibal himself was neither here nor there. The point was that there were few things weird enough to surprise him.

 

And yet…

 

Hannibal found himself woken up at just past three in the morning by the buzz of his silent alarm alerting him to a presence on his property. Donning a robe over his sleep clothes, he made his way down to the front door.

 

Upon opening it, he was met with a younger man, scruffy looking and dressed only in boxer shorts despite the remnants of that day’s earlier snowfall still on the ground. The man was holding a bottle of mid-priced whiskey and a bouquet of plants (some flowers but mostly weeds, likely pulled straight from the ground somewhere along the way, dirt still sloughing off with every movement).

 

He was also clearly sleepwalking, if his glazed over expression was any indication.

  
The sight alone nearly had Hannibal leafing through his mind palace for the perfect new recipe to try out. But then…

 

But then the man fell to his knees, managing to somehow appear  _ graceful _ despite the inherent shakiness expected of a sleepwalker. The man placed the whiskey and bouquet at Hannibal’s feet as if in offering and bowed his head as if in prayer. 

 

“‘ppy bir’day,” the man slurred quietly. At which point his eyes fluttered shut as he drifted back into unconsciousness, his head falling to rest on Hannibal’s thigh.

 

Hannibal blinked down at the trespasser slowly. Deciding that he was  _ far _ more curious than hungry, Hannibal knelt down and carefully pulled the man into his arms. Leaning down so that his nose just barely brushed the dark curls, he took in a deep breath.

 

Sweat, dog…  _ dogs _ , lake water, and the sweetly bitter tang of a very sharp fever. Another sniff had him narrowing that down to a likely case of encephalitis rather than a head cold as well as the traces of an aftershave that could really only exist for the express purpose of making people hate you.

 

Admittedly, Hannibal might be a little biased.   

 

Hannibal stood up and adjusted his hold into a bridal carry, sweat dampened curls brushing against his neck as the man instinctively leaned into his embrace.

 

It was.... Actually somewhat cute, in a stray dog kind of way.

 

\----xxxx----

 

Will woke in a hospital bed, the overhead lights mercifully dim. He stared at the ceiling for a long moment before taking a look around the room. There was a man in a plaid suit sitting with his eyes closed in the chair at his beside. He had an open book balanced face down over his crossed legs. The man was so still and look just so damn  _ chiseled _ that....

 

Will reached out and lightly brushed a single finger over its nearest pant leg. It was soft to the tough.

 

“Oh. Not a statue then…” Will whispered absently.

 

“I suppose I should take that as a compliment?”

 

So, not a statue and apparently also awake.

 

“Sorry! I, yes, I guess. Um...why are you here?”

 

Hannibal tilted his head ever so slightly. “You don’t want to know why  _ you’re _ here?”

 

Will shrugged, lying back flat to stare at the ceiling. “It was bound to happen at some point. But you… you were unexpected.” Will turned his head to face him. “A doctor?”

 

“Not the medical kind.”

 

Will gave Hannibal a single blink, his expression shuttering into blankness halfway through it. After a long pause he let out a silent sigh.

 

“Should I be thanking you or kicking you out?” he asked, his voice still somewhat gentle despite that vague threat.

 

And that, the obvious desire to be rude out of discomfort momentarily set aside simply because Hannibal hadn’t quite given him a reason to be so… it had the predator in him lifting its head up in curiosity.

 

Will whole body immediately tensed up, pupils dilating, as if in response to that. Hannibal immediately stomped down on his inner predator and watch with barely contained delight as Will’s body language calmed, his expression remaining wary.

 

Deciding that it would be a bad idea to allow that wariness to stew, Hannibal offered Will his hand and a smile. 

 

“My name is Hannibal Lector. You passed out nearly nude on my doorstep after offering me a bouquet of weeds and a bottle of whiskey for my birthday. It seems that you’ve been suffering from a severe case of encephalitis.”

 

Will’s eyes grew wider with each passing sentence, horror completely eradicating the earlier wariness. By the time Hannibal had finished speaking, Will had pulled the thin hospital blanket up over his head.

 

There was a long pause filled only with Will’s deep breaths before he spoke. “My- My name is Will Graham. Would you mind reminding the doctors of the DNR I have on file and turn away for a couple of minutes while I smother myself?”

 

“Nonsense. Regardless of what your doctors chose to do, I would still happily attempt to bring you back.”

 

Will peaked out from under the blanket, making eye contact for the briefest moment before turning away. “You...actually  _ mean _ that,” he said, sounding baffled.

 

“Well, it’s not everyday that such a lovely gift shows up on my doorstep.”

 

Still refusing even look in Hannibal’s direction, Will’s eyelids fluttered in the aftereffects of a barely contained twitch.

 

“You’re horrible,” he grumbled.

 

Hannibal smiled and reached out, gently brushing Will’s curls away from his face. “Visiting hours are almost over, even for friends of the hospital. Would you be willing to allow such a horrible man to see you again?”

 

“Does it matter if I say no?”

 

“Of course!”

 

Will lay there silently for nearly two minutes, allowing Hannibal to simply pet him. He finally made eye contact and held it instead of letting his eyes immediately shift away. His expression softened, if only just a little.

 

“Sure. Why not?”


End file.
